Flying machine



Sept. 11, 1928. 1,684,163

P. VALENTIN FLYING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1924 I 4 Sheets-Sheet z 5 v I "a...

A. ml enafvr P//fm/n P. VALENTIN FLYING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 11, 1928.

P. 'VALENTIN FLYING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1924 w T a 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 jhn /yrar'.

Sept. 11, 1928.

P. VALENTIN FLYING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 22, 1924 Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT omen;

PAUL vnnnn'rm, or rams, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR T RENE nnnux, or rams,

FLYING MACHINE.

Application filed July 22, 1924, Serial No. 727,520, and in France July 26, 1923.

The present invention relates to a helicoplane capable of performing evolutions under effectively and constantly safe conditions such as have hitherto been sought for in vain.

1" The general means enabling this result to be obtained consists in the novel combination of two elements: v

'(a) a single elevating and gliding screw having a maximum capacity for acting as a 1n parachute, thanks to the multiplication and broadening of its blades, which are juxtaposedlike roofing tiles;

(b) a fuselage in the form of an inverted truncated cone having a cavity in the centre,

.1 the envelope or shell of which, during a free fall, acts as a brake and a rectifien.

This, particular system of parachute-like supporting (see Fig. 1) may be arranged in various-ways and supplemented by any desired structural and propelling device.

With this end in view a series of auxiliary means may here be enumerated tending to produce an air-craft capable of rising vertically, of remaining stationary above a fixed spot,-of redescending vertically to the ground or the water,.fand of performing evolutions while-aviatin-g in all directions at a satisfactory speed.

These means are the following:

'1. Superposition upon the above-mentioned truncated cone of a symmetrical truncated cone, the whole forming, on account of its suitable skeleton'and covering, a more or less flattened volume of revolution, the central part of which is hollowed out into a sand box about the axis (see Fig. 2). The biconvex lens thus bounded offers a minimum resistance to trailing, in the course of its horizontal progression, on account of: firstly, its form; and secondly, the inclusion of all the rigging in the central cavity.

2. The choice of metallic stiffening stays making it possible to construct, inside the said biconvex lens-shaped body, concentric spaces in the form of to'res or anchor rings divided into compartments, where gas lighter than air would be stored should occasion arise. This arrangement would have the effect of introducing an ascensional force over and above the thrust of the elevating screw itself, or of the sails that take its place.

3. The planting, upon the periphery of the lens, of a double or triple belt of subentrant planes, which represent the blade ends of a single elevating screw. Being actuated by tractor screws, these wings, by their more or less rapid gyration, ensure for the apparatus the entire accomplishment of all the functions that are characteristic of the helicopter.

4. Alternative orientation of g the tractor screws on the line of route, by virtue of a reclprocating movement which may be impressed upon them in various ways, in particular by a common eccentric, or by a system of eccentrics integral with the car.

5. Annulment of the couple that tends to rotate the car in the same direction as the elevating sails, thanks to a correcting device, which would comprise, according to circum stances: a retrograding mechanism acting by friction or spur gearing, one or more retarding screws fixed to the 'keelson, or more simply a drift keel, lowered at the moment of taking flight, which would have moreover the advantage of opposing rolling.-

The device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View explaining the principle of operation of the device, and

showing the elevating screw provided with a frustruin of an upright cone.

Fig. 2 is a sectionof a plane passing through the axis of the helicoplane;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the apparatus with the casing partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the screws on either side of a central line correspo'ndingto the line of flight, the arrow A-B.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the eccentric controlling the position of the screws' i Fig.6 is a section through one of the frames carrying the peripheral motors.

' Fig. 7 is an end View of a peripheral motor.

Fig. 8 is a section through the car mounted on the central chimney.

Figs. 9 and 10 are rcspectively,a vertical section and a plan view of a friction brake.

The airship thus constituted comprises (1) A lenticular body obtained by the combination of two concentric anchor rings 1, 2 and of a metallic covering 3, hooked or clasped in any suitable manner, for example at 4, 5, 4, 5, to the metallic couples constituting the framework of the anchor rings; the two anchor rings 1 and 2 being themselves assembled by their equators at 6.

The meridian section of the inner anchor ring 1 is a circle; that of the anchor ring 2 is an oval. Thanks to this combination of sections the desired lenticular form is obtained while at the same time leaving to the central cavity of the lenticular body the opening of maximum cross-sectional area.

The two rings 1 and 2 comprise as many compartments as there are couples and each of these compartments can contain one or more balloons filled with a gas lighter than air; coal gas, hydrogen or helium; contributing to lighten the apparatus of the whole or part of the live loads.

(2) A car 7, suspended for example through the medium of a ball bearing 8 to a suitably perforated central chimney, which is connected by metallic archings 10 to the couples of the anchor ring 1. This car contains the passengers cabin and an engine room. It supports, in addition to the various orientation mechanisms, the crews quarters and the post for the look-out man.

(3) Upon the peripheral wale of the I lenticular body at 12 are mounted a series of metal frames 13, each intended A. in the first place, to receive the bearings for the driving shafts of screws 14, the shafts 18 upon which these screws are mounted being capable, as will hereinafter be explained in detail, of rotating in a plane which blends with the equatorial plane of the system. A drivingdevice 15 mounted on the vertical axis transmits the displacements that are impressed upon it by an orientation mechanism located for example at 16 inside the central tube, the details of which will be here-' inafter set forth.

B. in the second place, to support plane 17,

17 forming elevating surfaces, these vari-.

ous planes succeeding one another in this way throughout the system and partially covering one another like the tiles of a roof. In the front and in the rear of each frame are inserted two planes, an upper plane and a lower plane, iiointly constituting a sort of biplane propel ed by a screw 14.

A system of wing surfaces or ailerons 37 could also be provided, each of which would be mounted directly upon the peripheral wale of the apparatus, with or without a bearing upon the frames 13.

It will be immediately understood by the mere inspection of Fig. 3 how the airshipthat has just been described and illustrated can 1, rise and support itself in the air, and 2, move parallel to its equatorial plane. In oint of fact, each screw 14 being assume to be oriented in such a way that its plane of rotation is parallel to the meridian plane in which its axis of orientation 18 is located, all the screws 14 will impress upon the apparatus, (the car and its appendages excepted), a gyratory movement about its bipolar axis X-X.

To this movement there will correspond of these various components, applied to the centre of the system, will raise the apparatus vertically.

Such is the simple and powerful means which enables ascension to be effected.

Fig. 4 shows how propulsion is effected.

Let AB be the axis of travel selected by the pilot.

By actuating the orientation mechanism 16 in such a way that .all the screws 14 that are for the time being to the left of this axis of travel rotate in planes perpendicular to tha! axis, these screws will be caused to work for the simultaneous realization of two effects (a) an ascensional effect, of course slightly reduced;

a propulsion effect.

s for the screws that at the same moment are located to the right of the axis AB, they can obviously only serve for ascension.

In proportion as these screws pass from the left+hand zone into the right-hand zone relatively to the axis of travel the orientation mechanism will bring them progressively at once to the position most favourable to ascension, that is'to say, these screws will be rogressively brought afresh each to rotate in a plane parallel to the meridian plane corresponding thereto, and then, before they become again engaged in the left-hand zone, the same orientation mechanism will replace them in a position such that their plane of rotation will be perpendicular to the axis of travel, and so on, as long as-the horizonta movement continues.

Half the screws will therefore be essentially propulsive in the left-hand field, and the other half will be essentially elevational in the right-hand field.

As for the unbalancing couples that may result from this assymmetrv of effort, they will be annulled bv suitable wing-twistings impressed at a suitable time on each carrymg surface by means of a device that will be hereinafter described.

In Fig. 5 there has been shown by way of example one constructional form of the orientation-controlling mechanism.

Upon the sleeve 16, concentric with the central chimney 9 of the lenticular body, are

,the inside wall of a ring 23, which here plays the part of an adjustable eccentric.

As will be seen from the drawing, the ring 23 may be displaced within the elongated opening-24 of the ring 25, in such a Way as to receive, relatively to the axis of the central chimney, and, in consequence, to that of the sleeve 16, a variable eccentricity.

The ring 25, integral with the car 7, can itself receive any advantageous displacement about its centre relatively to the said car, and can be fixed, by means of a locking device 26, in whatever position it may be desirable to give it.

The rods 19 carry at their extremities 27 a contact 01' index 28, which, when these rods move in the direction of their axes, come successively into contact with the various studs 29. .To each of the studs 29 there corresponds a definite orientation of the plane of rotation of the screw that depends on the control rod under consideration.

It will be understood that when the ring 23 occupies inside the opening 24 such a position that its eccentricity relative to the axis of the..chimney and consequently relative to the bipolar axis XX of the apparatus is zero, all the rods 19 are and remain sunk to an equal extent in the passages that serve them as guides, and, in consequence, all the indexes 28 are in contact with the studs that correspond to one and the same orientation of the planes of rotation of the screws, which are then respectively parallel to the meridian planes of the apparatus passing through the pivoting axes of the said screws.

According as the eccentricity of the ring 23 relative to the axis of the central chimney is increased by displacing the said ring in the cavity 24, the various rods 19, while remaining pressed against it, will emerge to a greater or less extent from the passages which serve them as guides. Consequently each index 28 will come into contact with a stud of a different order, and the plane of rotation of the corresponding screw will receive a particular orientation relative to the meridian plane passing through its pivoting axis.

The movement of rotation of the lenticular body and of the central chimney relative to the car will bring about a reciprocating movement of the various rods 19 within their lowed, the normal order of the variations of orientation of each of the screws.

The general equilibrium of the apparatus in space is in this way ensured, on the one hand thanks to the gyroscopic effect resulting from the rotation of the lenticular body about its axis, and on the other hand to the device 16, which bring about jointly or separately the orientation of the screws and the stabilizing warping ofthe wing surfaces.

In Figures 6 and 7 one of the metal frames 13 in which the screws 14 move and which support the planes 17 is shown in elevation, from the front and from the side.-

As has been stated above, the screw 14 is mounted directly upon the shaft 18, which is itself capable of pivoting about the axis a, a under the action of the control consisting of the electric relay station 31, the pinions 33 and 34 and the shafts 32 and 35, in conformity with the indications that are transmitted to the station 31 by the centralorientat-ion mechanism.

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 is shown a particular.

method of constructing the device for suspending the car and the mechanism that enables the said car to retain a constant orientation relatively to the terrestrial axes notwithstandin the rotary movement relative to the rest of t e apparatus.

The car 7 is suspended in space by chains 38, 39 of adjustable length from a. rim 40 revolvin on the rollers 41 which is supported .by the ower flange 42 of the central chimney.

Ball bearings 43, 44 facilitate the relative circular displacements of the car and the central chimney.

In principle, the stability of steering of the car in the direction of travel is achieved entirely by the reaction of the air upon the rudder 45 arranged below the car, the effective surface of which can be varied at will according as it is lowered to a greater or less extent out of the cavity reserved for it in the interior of the medial partition of the car.

- In order to make up for the insuflicienc-y of the reaction of the air upon this rudder when the apparatus is either rising or descending and has therefore only a low translational speed, a particular correcting device has been provided enabling the rotation of the car to be eitherprevented or even reversed relatively to its previous position.

With this end in view a friction roller 46 (Fig. 10) of suitable dimensions, movable its periphery is greater than the maximum linear velocity which can be taken up by the periphery of the ring 52 which is fixed on to the central chimney of the lenticular body and which moves with the said chimney.

In this way, when the roller 46, is brought by absolutely any controlling device what ever into contactv with the ring 52, the entire nation with the rudder in such a way that the two, forces combine, or atleast do not 0p se one another.

landing gear or float device, either fixed or capable of being withdrawn into the in terior of the lenticular rim enables the apparatus to turn and to move on the ground or on the water, either when starting or when landing. This device is shown diagrammatically at 53 in Fig. 2.

As for the driving power necessary for the workin of the apparatus, this can be obtained om any suitable source; an explosion motor, a semi-Diesel engine, an electric .generatlng set or the llke, according to the most advantageous possibilities offered by the progress of industry. The motors, of

whatever nature they may be, will preferably be'placed in the circular gallery located be-- low the equatorial plane of the system, between the central chinmey and the open space reserved for the escape ofair in the event of a fall. There will be in principle one motor for each screw. Each motor will have its separate supply of petrol far enough from the gas bags and from the car obviate prac- .tically all risk of fire.

What I claim is 1. A machine for aerial navigatio'mcomprising, a main body and a helicopter screw,

- the main body being externally in the form of a permanent biconvex lenticular rim, and being adapted to be filled with a gas lighter than air, and wing surfaces arranged upon the periphery of the main body to form the helicopter screw.

2. A machine for aerial navigation, com: prising, a main body and a helicopter screw, the main body being externally in the form of a biconvex lenticular rim, and being adapted to be filled with a gas lighter than air,and

wing surfaces arranged upon the periphery of the main body to form the helicopter screw, the wing surfaces forming the helicopter screw overlapping one another.

3. A machine for aerial navigation, comprising, -'a main bodyand a helicopter screw, the main body being externally in' the form of a rigid biconvex lenticular rim, and being adapted to be filled with a gas lighter than air, screw propellers arranged upon the periphery of the main body and adapted to cause rotation of the main body.

4. A machine for aerial navigation, com- 6." prising, a main body and a helicopter screw, the .main body being externally in the form of a rigid biconvex lenticular rim, and being adapted to be filled with a gas lighter than air, and win surfaces arrangedupon the periphery of the main body to form the helicopter screw, screw propellers arranged upon the periphery of the main body for directing a current of air against the wing surfaces.

5, A machine for aerial navigation, comprising, a main body and a helicopter screw, the main body being externally in the form of a rigid biconvex lenticular rim, and being' adapted to be filled with a gas lighter than air, horizontal axes adjustable in a horizontal plane, and screw prbpellers arranged upon the periphery of the main body on the horizontal axes.

6. A machine for aerial navigation, com-- prising, a main body and a helicopter screw, the main body being externally in the form of a biconvex lenticular rim, and being adapted to be filled with a gas lighter than air, horizontal axes adjustable in a horizontal plane, and screw propellers arranged upon the periphery of the main body on the horizontal axes, a vertical aperture in the center of the main body, a central chimney in the aperture, the main body being rotatable about the chimney, radial iding tubes secured to the 0b chimney, rods slldable radially in the tubes, springs urging the rods outwardly from the axis of the chimney, a ring eccentrically disposed relative to the axis of the chimney and arranged to limit the emergence of the rods 1m from the tubes, contact studs distributed along each of the tubes, a contact stud at the inner end of each of the rods, and means for adjusting the orientation of the horizontal axes of the several screw propellers accord- 1 5 ing to the positions of the sliding rods in the. guiding tubes.

7. A machine for aerial navigation, comprising a main body and a helicopter screw,

the main body being externally in the form 11o ofa biconvex lenticular rim, and being adapted to be filled with a gas lighter than air, a car suspended from the main body, the main body and helicopter screw being rotatable integra'llyrelative to the car, means for rotating the main body and helicopter screw independently of the car, and means for impressing on the car at will a rotary displacement relative to the main body.

Ini testimony whereof-I have signed my name to this specification.

DR. PAUL VALENTIN. 

